Q-11. WHAT is the PURPOSE of LIFE? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. Q-11. WHAT is the PURPOSE of LIFE? People all over the world from all walks of life have asked questions like, “What is the purpose of life?”, “Why are we here”, “Is there life after death?”, “Why is there a Day of Judgment?”, and many more similar questions without finding any satisfactory answers that brings them PEACE. Now, I believe that the Bible has the answers to all these questions and more if you are willing to search for the answer. Most people begin at the beginning of a book, but when I was in school I used to read the end of a book first before reading the rest of the book. So in this series of studies on what is the purpose of life, I am going to start with the END GOAL of what the Bible is all about. I will title chapter one or part one of this study in God’s word as the ages to come.
AGES TO COME
Let us begin by reading 1 Corinthians 2:6-10.
“Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ORDAINED before the world unto our GLORY: 8. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9. But as it is written, the Eye has not seen, nor the ear has heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that LOVE him. 10. But God has REVEALED them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
So then, the unsaved people in the world do not understand the things of God and the GLORY that God has prepared for those who LOVE Him. But God’s Spirit dwelling in us as Christians will lead and guide us into all truth when we SEEK His truth over the wisdom of men. I would also like to point out that the “princes of this world” are referring to Satan and the fallen angels. And had God’s enemy known the GLORY that God has prepared for those who love him, then they would have never crucified the man that God ORDAINED and raised from the dead as His faithful and true WITNESS to JUDGE them. I will explain what I mean by this with the Scriptures throughout this series of studies. But for now, we are looking at the END GOAL of what God is in the process of accomplishing by performing or fulfilling His spoken word of PROPHECY.
Let us now read Ephesians 2:1-10.
“And you has he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (The pronoun “you” is referring to true born-again Christians) 2. Wherein in time PAST you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: 3. Among whom also we ALL had our conversation in times PAST in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5. Even when we WERE dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6. And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7. That in the AGES to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ORDAINED that we should walk in them.”
So then, the END GOAL is God’s NEW CREATION of RIGHTEOUS people who walk in GOOD works. But more than that, the END GOAL is for the righteous to SIT with Jesus in HEAVENLY PLACES in the AGES to COME to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels. So the complete end goal of God is to destroy all evil so that evil never rises again. Let us read one more passage of Scripture before reading the END of the Book of Revelation.
Ephesians 3:19-21.
“And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be FILLED with ALL the FULLNESS of God. (This is another END GOAL that all of whosoever BELIEVES and endures unto the end to overcome the course of this present world will be like Jesus and receive the FULLNESS of God to dwell in us. Right now, even when we are filled with the Holy Spirit praising God with our whole being, we have just a small taste of what joy awaits us in the AGES to come) 20. Now unto him that is able to do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21. Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout ALL AGES, world without end. Amen.”
So then, God will do EXCEEDINGLY and abundantly ABOVE all that we can even ask or think for those that LOVE Him and His Son, Jesus. And once a Christian is rooted and grounded in this TRUTH that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us, according to Romans 8:8, then we can truly understand that this present life is like a vapor compared to eternity in PARADISE. So, we as Christians are looking for the NEW heavens and the NEW earth because this present earth and heavens will pass away and there will be no more SEA. The word “sea” in prophecy speaks of the wicked. So the completed end goal of God is a New heaven, a New Earth, and no more evil ever again. No more wars,, no more violence. no more hatred, and only righteous loving people exist with no sickness, disease, hunger, pian, of suffering of any kind.
Now let us read the END GOAL in Revelation 21:1-5.
“And I saw a NEW heaven and a NEW earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2. And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things NEW. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”
Now, the Holy City of God will come down out of heaven but it will remain in the AIR or in the orbit of the earth during the 1000 year reign of Jesus. The Bible teaches us that at the coming of Jesus there will be the FIRST resurrection and the dead in Christ will rise first. And then, we who are alive in Jesus Christ will be CHANGED from being mortal to immortal along with the resurrected dead in Christ. And together we will be caught up into the AIR to MEET Jesus. This is called the rapture of the church and it will take place immediately after the tribulation of those days right before the coming of Jesus to execute the wrath of God upon the unsaved, according to Matthew 24:29-31. God’s wrath will be lifted and those left alive after the first half of God’s wrath will enter into the Millennial reign of Jesus in their MORTAL bodies, according to Zechariah 14:16, Isaiah 11:11, and other passages of Scripture. Satan will be BOUND in the bottomless pit for 1000 years during the reign of Jesus over the whole earth, according to Revelation 20:1-3. All of the weapons of war will be burned and made into farming equipment. There will be 1000 years of peace having no wars. Satan will be let loose from the bottomless pit to be allowed to deceive the nations of the MORTAL humans one last time. The last half of God’s wrath will be poured out and the FINAL resurrection will occur. During the final resurrection, the REST of the dead will be raised to face the White Throne Judgment. The REST of the dead will be all of the people from Adam to the end of this PRESENT world who did NOT take part in the FIRST resurrection at the coming of Jesus. The REST of the dead will ALSO include all of the mortal humans who will die DURING the 1000 year reign of Jesus and those who die during the FINAL WAR at the end of the 1000 year reign of Jesus when the second half of God’s wrath is poured out. There will be ANOTHER book of life opened from which the REST of the dead will be judged by their WORKS. Please read Revelation 20:1-15.
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and BOUND him a thousand years, 3. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a SEAL upon him, that he should DECEIVE the nations no more, TILL the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Clearly, the church goes through what is called great tribulation because the Scripture says that they were beheaded for NOT worshiping the beast and for not taking the mark of the beast. So again, the rapture of the church takes place immediately after the great tribulation. For you see there are only TWO resurrections and the FIRST resurrection takes place at the coming of Jesus) 5. But the REST of the dead lived not again UNTIL the thousand years were FINISHED. This is the FIRST resurrection. 6. Blessed and holy is he that has part in the FIRST resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Now, the SECOND DEATH is the lake of fire which I will explain in part 2 of this study called Q-12. WHY THE LAKE OF FIRE?) 7. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8. And shall go out to DECEIVE the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and ANOTHER book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their WORKS. 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged, every man according to their WORKS. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the SECOND DEATH. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
So then, what is the PURPOSE of the lake of fire? Some Christians sincerely believe that the lake of fire will be used by God to REFINE or PURIFY all those cast into the lake of fire. And thus, to them, everyone will eventually be saved and live happily ever after for all eternity. But is that what the Bible ITSELF teaches us? Did God ordain the lake of fire for the human race before God ever created Adam and Eve? Is the lake of fire a place of eternal torment and torture? Is the lake of fire a place of destroying all evil? Or is the lake of fire a refining fire to purify all of God’s creation? Please click on the link below to read part 2 of this series of studies on “WHAT is the PURPOSE of LIFE?”
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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